24th August : Goldfinches Again.

Goldfinches are still visiting the garden.

 

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

23rd August : Kestrel.

Quick visit this morning to the scrubby field at Great Missenden, a charm of Goldfinches were feeding on the Thistles, as this Kestrel hunted from the over head wires & hovered on the strong wind.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

21st August : Goldfinch.

With the Knapweed flowers in the garden now past their best, Goldfinches are feeding daily on the seed heads, with several juveniles joining the adults as they acrobatically extract the seeds with their pointed bills.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

19th August : Latimer, Herons & Little Grebe.

I had to visit  Ley Hill earlyish in the morning, so once I'd finished there I circled round stopping at one of my favourite spots on the River Chess at Latimer. Making my way down to the river a juvenile Cormorant sat preening in a tree.

 

As I arrived at the bridge over looking Neptune Falls a Grey Heron stood motionless on the foot bridge hand rail.

While I photographed the Heron a Little Egret sneaked in unnoticed & began preening.

In the river below the falls a Little Grebe was also preening in-between bouts of  diving as it patrolled the water from the bridge to the falls, at one point even briefly running across an open area.

 

Ever present Mute Swans.

View down stream from the bridge.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

17th August : Chiffchaff. 

Chiffchaff made an early morning visit to the garden as it searched for insects amongst the Sweet Peas. Several Chiffchaffs did likewise last Summer at about this time, must plant more Sweet Peas next year to encourage them.

 

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

15th August : Common Blue.

First Common Blue of the year in the garden today.

Image : Copyright © Don Stone. 

9th August : Missenden Abbey.

Spent an hour at the lake this morning, plenty of well grown young Coots on the water & one recently hatched youngster following in it's parents wake as they cruised around in search of food.

A Little Grebe played cat & mouse with me as it constantly dived along the edge of the far bank.

As I returned to the foot bridge a Grey Wagtail put in a brief appearance.

Don.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.